Paul Meade, the Apple vice president responsible for the Vision Pro headset, is reportedly leaving Apple to join OpenAI’s hardware team, according to Mark Gurman of Bloomberg. The report also states Meade led development on Apple’s AI-powered smart glasses that the company plans to launch next year.
What happened and why it matters
The Vision Pro was an expensive effort and did not become a mainstream hit, but Apple hopes a more affordable pair of smart glasses will help it compete with wearable devices from Meta. Meade’s departure could be significant for Apple’s wearable hardware strategy because he led teams tied to key projects and product development.
Context behind the departure
Gurman frames Meade’s exit as partly related to John Ternus’s imminent elevation to Apple CEO and Ternus’s decision to reorganize the hardware engineering team. According to the report, that reshuffle left several Apple vice presidents feeling as if they had been demoted.
OpenAI’s hardware ambitions
OpenAI is already working with Apple’s former chief design officer Jony Ive on an AI device that CEO Sam Altman has said will offer a "more peaceful and calm" experience than an iPhone. Reports from last fall indicated the company had been struggling to finalize the details of that device.
Responses and next steps
TechCrunch has reached out to Apple and OpenAI for comment. The Bloomberg report is the source of the account, and while it indicates Meade will focus on hardware at OpenAI, precise role details and timing await official confirmation from the involved companies.
